Shikoku · Prefecture Guide
Japan's oldest hot spring bathhouse, a hilltop castle with original keeps, the world's most scenic cycling bridge route, and citrus groves spilling down to a turquoise sea
Ehime is where Japan's oldest hot spring bathhouse soaks in 3,000 years of history, where a genuine original-keep castle crowns a city hill, and where a chain of islands connected by graceful suspension bridges has become the world's most celebrated cycling route. Dogo Onsen Honkan — the creaking Meiji-era bathhouse widely believed to have inspired Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away — sits at the heart of Matsuyama city, surrounded by traditional inns and sake bars. Sixty kilometres west, the Shimanami Kaido spans six islands and five sea bridges between Imabari and Onomichi, offering cyclists and motorcyclists a route of extraordinary beauty. And in the south, Ozu's vine-bridge castle and cormorant fishing tradition feel utterly removed from modern Japan.
Matsuyama is the main gateway, served by Matsuyama Airport with direct flights from Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, and Nagoya. The Shimanami Kaido starts from Imabari (40 min from Matsuyama by JR) or the Onomichi end in Hiroshima prefecture. Ferry connections link Matsuyama to Hiroshima and Oita (Kyushu).
Deep-dive guides to help you plan every aspect of your visit — from top sightseeing spots to the best restaurants and seasonal events.
Japan's most important shrine for the gods of war, sea, and mountains, located on Omishima island along the Shimanami Kaido. The shrine treasury holds over 80% of Japan's designated national treasure armour and swords.
Japan's oldest hot spring bathhouse, dating to 1894, widely believed to have inspired Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. The iconic three-storey Meiji wooden structure is a National Important Cultural Property. Multiple bath tiers available.
One of Japan's 12 original castles with an unrestored wooden keep, perched on a hill above Matsuyama city. The ropeway or gondola lift provides access. In spring, cherry blossoms surround the keep in a spectacular display.
A beautifully restored hilltop castle in Ozu, called the 'Little Kyoto of Shikoku'. From May to September, traditional ukai (cormorant fishing) takes place on the Hijikawa River below, with viewing boats available.
A flamboyant temple on Ikuchijima island along the Shimanami Kaido, built by a businessman in the 1950s as a tribute to his late mother. The temple complex is covered in gold leaf and extravagant reproductions of famous Japanese architectural works.
One of Japan's 12 surviving original-keep castles, Uwajima Castle sits on a low hill overlooking the Uwa Sea. It is notable for its compact, elegant three-storey tower and peaceful grounds. The city is also known for bullfighting (togyu).
Ehime's most celebrated local dish, served in two regional styles: Matsuyama-style (raw sea bream on hot rice with egg and dashi broth) and Uwa-style (whole grilled sea bream cooked directly over rice). Both versions showcase the exceptional quality of Ehime's Seto Inland Sea snapper.
Saijo City is one of Japan's most celebrated sake-brewing towns, famous for its exceptionally soft water drawn from the Nishiyama groundwater system. The city has 8 active breweries in a small area, many offering tastings. Labels including Chitosetsuru and Sachi no Tsuru are sought after.
Ehime produces around 20% of Japan's mikan (mandarin oranges) and is also famous for iyokan, dekopon, and beni madonna — some of Japan's finest citrus varieties. The terraced orange groves spilling down hillsides to the Uwa Sea are iconic Ehime scenery.
Ehime has two distinct local ramen styles: Matsuyama-style, featuring a soy-based broth with a delicate balance of sweetness, and Imabari-style featuring thick noodles with a strong pork-bone broth and distinctive 'yakibuta' (grilled pork slices). Both reflect the prefecture's confident food culture.
A beloved Ehime snack made from small ground fish (primarily small sharks and other bycatch), mixed and deep-fried into a flat cake. The texture is dense and chewy with a pleasantly savoury, slightly salty fish flavour. Sold hot from the fryer at market stalls.
Ehime's Seto Inland Sea location makes it exceptional for seafood-based preserved foods. Kamaboko (steamed fish paste), chikuwa (grilled fish tube), and satsuma-age (fried fish cake) are produced locally in many regional styles. Yawatahama's morning market is the best place to sample and buy.
The Shimanami Kaido connects six islands between Imabari (Ehime) and Onomichi (Hiroshima) with five spectacular suspension bridges over the Seto Inland Sea. The views of island-dotted emerald waters from bridge walkways are considered among the most beautiful in Japan.
At 1,982 metres, Mt. Ishizuchi is the highest mountain in western Japan and a sacred peak of the Shugendo mountain ascetic tradition. The dramatic ridge walk features vertical chain-assisted climbs on the traditional pilgrimage route. Panoramic views from the summit extend to the Seto Inland Sea.
A dramatic limestone karst plateau straddling the Ehime-Kochi border at 1,400 metres elevation, with white limestone rocks jutting from green alpine pastures grazed by dairy cattle. The panoramic views of both the Pacific side and Seto Inland Sea side of Shikoku are extraordinary.
The Uwa Sea on Ehime's western coast is a drowned ria coastline of extraordinary beauty — dozens of small islands, pearl oyster farms, and fishing villages accessible by local ferry. The Uwa-jima area offers glass-bottom boat tours to see pearl cultivation and coral.
The 70-kilometre cycling route across six islands between Imabari and Onomichi is widely considered the world's most scenic cycling route. Dedicated cycle lanes, well-marked blue line routes, and rental terminals on each island make it accessible to all fitness levels.
Starting from Imabari on the Ehime side, the 70-km Shimanami Kaido cycling route crosses six Seto Inland Sea islands via spectacular suspension bridges — including the world's longest bicycle-exclusive suspension bridge. Citrus groves, fish drying racks, and traditional fishing villages line the route, with salt-wind cycling and epic sea views all the way to Onomichi.
Bathing at Dogo Onsen is one of Japan's most memorable hot spring experiences — the sodium bicarbonate waters are gentle on the skin and the atmospheric Meiji wooden buildings add historical depth. Multiple facilities (Honkan, Asuka-no-Yu, Tsubaki-no-Yu) cater to different preferences.
The calm, island-sheltered waters of the Seto Inland Sea offer ideal conditions for sea kayaking. Multi-day guided paddling tours connect small islands with overnight stays at fishing village guesthouses. Day tours from Imabari explore the Kurushima island chain.
Three traditional iron chain routes ascend the sacred peak of Mt. Ishizuchi — the steepest chain section rises nearly vertically up a bare granite face. The pilgrimage route has been walked by Shugendo practitioners for over 1,000 years. Summit views on clear days reach both coasts of Shikoku.
One of Japan's greatest festival spectacles — 54 massive festival floats (taiko-dai), each weighing 2.5 tonnes and decorated with elaborate golden ornaments, are carried through the streets by teams of young men. The floats are then used in dramatic float-carrying contests (kakikurabe).
Dogo Onsen's spring festival (April) celebrates Japan's oldest hot spring with a mikoshi procession carrying a portable shrine through the bathhouse district, traditional dance performances, and special public bath events. The festival's highlight is the night procession when lantern-lit mikoshi pass the illuminated Meiji-era bathhouse facade — one of Japan's most photogenic festival settings.
On August 14 during Obon, Uwajima city releases hundreds of illuminated paper lanterns on the Suka River to guide ancestral spirits back to the afterlife. The slow-moving stream of glowing lanterns drifting seaward in the summer dusk, accompanied by traditional music from the riverside, creates a meditative and deeply moving spectacle unique to this castle town.
One of Shikoku's oldest and most distinctive festivals, held every July 22–24 in Uwajima. The centrepiece is the ushioni — a fierce bull-demon float with a long serpentine body carried through the streets. Accompanied by traditional music, fireworks over Uwajima Bay, and yakyu (bullfighting) events.
Held over three days in mid-August, the Matsuyama Festival features the spectacular Dogo Onsen Matsuri parade and the lively bon-odori (folk dancing) processions through the city centre. The festival celebrates the end of summer with traditional costumes, taiko drums, and street food stalls.
Dogo Onsen Honkan — Japan's oldest continuously operating hot spring bathhouse (opened in its current form in 1894) — is a three-storey wooden building that inspired the spirit bathhouse in Spirited Away. The signature Tama no Yu (Spirit Bath) requires a reservation and includes bathing in a private stone tub, wearing a yukata, and being served hot tea and monaka wafer sweets in an upstairs tatami room.
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